Scan barcode
domicspinnwand's review against another edition
4.0
Hm... das war irgendwie wieder ein Fall von stark angefangen und dann sehr nachgelassen. Anfangs fand ich's überraschend gut, hatte ich so gar nicht erwartet: Ich mochte Verity und auch ihre Kollegen in der Buchhandlung sehr - auch wenn es statt einer Buchhandlung eigentlich auch in einer Fleischerei oder sowas spielen könnte, denn Bücher spielen - mit Ausnahme EINES Buches - nicht wirklich eine Rolle. Auch Verities Familie - ihre Schwestern, deren Partner und die Eltern, mochte ich sehr.
Warum hat's dann nur ganz knapp für 3.5 Sterne gereicht? Tja, der Love Interest - der war mir einfach etwas zu gut, um wahr zu sein, und seine Obession mit der zweiten Frau, die quasi Verities Konkurrentin ist, konnte ich überhaupt nicht nachvollziehen. Die ist nämlich so blöd und zickig, da war mir absolut nicht ersichtlich, wieso irgendjemand die toll finden sollte - weder auf platonischer noch auf amouröser Ebene - was für eine doofe Kuh!
Wenn Du ein großer Fan von "Stolz und Vorurteil" bis, ist das vielleicht DEIN Buch - da wird nämlich alle Nase lang zitiert, denn Verity ist ein Riesenfan. Ich mochte Stolz und Vorurteil, aber die permanenten Referenzen haben mich gegen Ende dann nur genervt, zumal sie für mich nicht wirklich was zur Geschichte beigetragen haben.
Wieso hat's dann doch zu 3.5 Sternen gereicht? Die Interaktion mit Verities Familie fand ich wirklich "cozy", auch Johnnies Papa mochte ich sehr, so dass mich das mit den anderen Figuren wieder ausgesöhnt hat. Ob ich die anderen Teile der Serie noch lesen will - weiß nicht, ich lese mal rein - vielleicht sind die Figuren da ja weniger nervig.
Warum hat's dann nur ganz knapp für 3.5 Sterne gereicht? Tja, der Love Interest - der war mir einfach etwas zu gut, um wahr zu sein, und seine Obession mit der zweiten Frau, die quasi Verities Konkurrentin ist, konnte ich überhaupt nicht nachvollziehen. Die ist nämlich so blöd und zickig, da war mir absolut nicht ersichtlich, wieso irgendjemand die toll finden sollte - weder auf platonischer noch auf amouröser Ebene - was für eine doofe Kuh!
Wenn Du ein großer Fan von "Stolz und Vorurteil" bis, ist das vielleicht DEIN Buch - da wird nämlich alle Nase lang zitiert, denn Verity ist ein Riesenfan. Ich mochte Stolz und Vorurteil, aber die permanenten Referenzen haben mich gegen Ende dann nur genervt, zumal sie für mich nicht wirklich was zur Geschichte beigetragen haben.
Wieso hat's dann doch zu 3.5 Sternen gereicht? Die Interaktion mit Verities Familie fand ich wirklich "cozy", auch Johnnies Papa mochte ich sehr, so dass mich das mit den anderen Figuren wieder ausgesöhnt hat. Ob ich die anderen Teile der Serie noch lesen will - weiß nicht, ich lese mal rein - vielleicht sind die Figuren da ja weniger nervig.
emmacr2024's review against another edition
4.0
True Love at the Lonely Hearts Bookshop is the second in the series from Annie Darling focusing on a unique bookshop in a quiet corner of London. I absolutely adored the first book The Little Bookshop of Lonely Hearts and was gutted it had to end. As soon as I had finished it I just wanted to tell everyone I meet or talked to on the internet that you should read this book so I was more than eagerly awaiting this next instalment. I had very high expectations for this one given how enthralled I was with Posy's story in book one.
This new book is not a bad book by any means but I think I had placed my expectations far too high, it just didn't grab me in the same way as it had before. There was something missing in it that I can't quite put my finger on and talking to a friend she felt the exact same way. If I was picking this one up not having read the first in the series, I would be wondering what all the fuss was about. So I do think it is best to read book one and then read this one. Of course they are both standalone reads but book one is a more compulsive read. The book couldn't have been all that bad seen as I kept reading until the end and it wasn't, it's just when you have such high hopes for something and they are dashed it can prove to be quite frustrating.
This new story picks up a few weeks later on from we last met the characters and this time it focuses on Verity Love who deals with all the admin at the bookshop. For some reason I had thought the series would just continue focusing directly on Posy and the bookshop so it took me several chapters to re-familiarise myself with the characters and to understand Verity was the sole focus this time around. It makes me wonder if there is a third book will Nina be the central character? Verity is a complicated character, she has a lot sides to her and many little foibles that affect her day to day life. She can come across as quite abrupt and rude in some cases but underneath it all there is this person desperate to find love and have what most of her friends have – happiness and a solid long term relationship. Even though she will say that is the complete opposite to what she desires.
Like many other characters in this genre she has been hurt in the past and that clearly affects how she deals with people and relationships on a day to day basis. Verity doesn't want to meet anyone in her life, so she claims, she has a busy job, great friends,a nice small apartment above the shop and she needs nothing else to complete her life. So it's sad to see she feels the need to create a boyfriend in the form of Peter Hardy, oceanographer. Clearly she hadn't gotten in over her head with this white lie and before exposure occurs she has to put a halt to their 'relationship'. I felt sad for Verity that she was forced to do this. Why couldn't she just say to Posy, Nina, Sebastian, Mattie and Tom, who all work in the bookshop and tea rooms, that I have nobody and I don't want anybody in my life. Honesty is always the best policy.
Verity sticks to routine rigidly and a Friday night spent on her own at a local restaurant is just perfect for her as she awaits 'Peter Hardy'. Things take a turn when Posy and Nina follow her and she is forced to find a man quick. One thing leads to another and we are introduced to Johnny a high flying architect with a set of friends to match. He steps into the breach so to speak and one thing leads to another and a proposition is made. A mutual agreement which will benefit both parties. Johnny is desperately in love with a woman he can't have at all and like Verity his friends put him under constant pressure to find a woman. So the pair agree to be each other's dates for all the events upcoming over the summer. It will get everyone off their backs and maybe there won't be so many questions being flung at the pair of them.
If this was real life I would have thought this would never have happened, it seemed so off the wall and was bound to cause even more problems. Once one has started lying the lies seem to flow even more readily. I'd love to say I really liked Johnny as a character but I didn't. He just came across as self centred and really the woman in his heart was his ultimate goal. Verity seemed to be more emotionally invested in this whole scenario than he did and it was clear people were going to get very hurt. I hated Johnny's friends for the way they treated Verity where as the crew from the bookshop were much more warm and welcoming towards Johnny.
Verity has a life philosophy, what would Elizabeth Bennett do?, which she uses to help her out in situations or times of stress. I have to say all the references to Pride and Prejudice went over my head as I have never read it and don't think I ever will so I sped through these parts. One thing which I felt was missing in this book was the mention of books etc which was so prevalent in the first story I think that's what partly made me love Posy's story so much. But I was glad the chapters written as a romance story from the past weren't included here as they had dragged book one down.
It was enjoyable enough reading of the events and situations Verity and Johnny found themselves in but the question always remained at the back of my mind should the pair get together themselves or would it just cause too much trouble for Verity? I think she got herself into something that became increasingly hard to break away from both physically and emotionally. I enjoyed when Verity opened up to Johnny and explained the reasons for her being the way she was and not going into the detailed reasons as I found I was nodding along finding parts of myself within Verity and the way it was all explained was written very well and I could identify exactly with what she meant. OK I mightn't have agreed with it all but some parts felt very true to my own stance on certain things in life.
For me the best parts of True Love at the Lonely Hearts Bookshop were Verity's family and the scenes where she is with them were just brilliant. They had me laughing out loud at their antics surrounding the planning of Con's wedding. Verity's father Ken was a vicar. He married Dora and they had five daughters - Verity, Merry, Con, Chatty and Immy. They lived such a haphazardous life in the vicarage but it was clear to see love and friendship was there in abundance. Merry was a brilliant character who gave such support and advice to Verity when she needed it most. She really got Verity and all her little quirks. Time and time again things Merry said thanks to her straight talking had me laughing out loud and wishing she was my friend. The scenes at the vicarage when push comes to shove and Con finally has to make decisions regarding the organisation of the wedding were blunt and funny. In fact I wanted even more of Verity's family to feature and I think it would be great to have a book featuring them as a whole or even a series with each sister once Annie Darling has concluded the book shop series.
Overall True Love at the Lonely Hearts Bookshop was a good read but it didn't match the first in the series in terms of readability and I didn't fall in love with Verity as much as I had Posy. I will definitely read a third book if one is written as I like the overall concept but I am just that little bit disappointed my expectations weren’t reached with this read
This new book is not a bad book by any means but I think I had placed my expectations far too high, it just didn't grab me in the same way as it had before. There was something missing in it that I can't quite put my finger on and talking to a friend she felt the exact same way. If I was picking this one up not having read the first in the series, I would be wondering what all the fuss was about. So I do think it is best to read book one and then read this one. Of course they are both standalone reads but book one is a more compulsive read. The book couldn't have been all that bad seen as I kept reading until the end and it wasn't, it's just when you have such high hopes for something and they are dashed it can prove to be quite frustrating.
This new story picks up a few weeks later on from we last met the characters and this time it focuses on Verity Love who deals with all the admin at the bookshop. For some reason I had thought the series would just continue focusing directly on Posy and the bookshop so it took me several chapters to re-familiarise myself with the characters and to understand Verity was the sole focus this time around. It makes me wonder if there is a third book will Nina be the central character? Verity is a complicated character, she has a lot sides to her and many little foibles that affect her day to day life. She can come across as quite abrupt and rude in some cases but underneath it all there is this person desperate to find love and have what most of her friends have – happiness and a solid long term relationship. Even though she will say that is the complete opposite to what she desires.
Like many other characters in this genre she has been hurt in the past and that clearly affects how she deals with people and relationships on a day to day basis. Verity doesn't want to meet anyone in her life, so she claims, she has a busy job, great friends,a nice small apartment above the shop and she needs nothing else to complete her life. So it's sad to see she feels the need to create a boyfriend in the form of Peter Hardy, oceanographer. Clearly she hadn't gotten in over her head with this white lie and before exposure occurs she has to put a halt to their 'relationship'. I felt sad for Verity that she was forced to do this. Why couldn't she just say to Posy, Nina, Sebastian, Mattie and Tom, who all work in the bookshop and tea rooms, that I have nobody and I don't want anybody in my life. Honesty is always the best policy.
Verity sticks to routine rigidly and a Friday night spent on her own at a local restaurant is just perfect for her as she awaits 'Peter Hardy'. Things take a turn when Posy and Nina follow her and she is forced to find a man quick. One thing leads to another and we are introduced to Johnny a high flying architect with a set of friends to match. He steps into the breach so to speak and one thing leads to another and a proposition is made. A mutual agreement which will benefit both parties. Johnny is desperately in love with a woman he can't have at all and like Verity his friends put him under constant pressure to find a woman. So the pair agree to be each other's dates for all the events upcoming over the summer. It will get everyone off their backs and maybe there won't be so many questions being flung at the pair of them.
If this was real life I would have thought this would never have happened, it seemed so off the wall and was bound to cause even more problems. Once one has started lying the lies seem to flow even more readily. I'd love to say I really liked Johnny as a character but I didn't. He just came across as self centred and really the woman in his heart was his ultimate goal. Verity seemed to be more emotionally invested in this whole scenario than he did and it was clear people were going to get very hurt. I hated Johnny's friends for the way they treated Verity where as the crew from the bookshop were much more warm and welcoming towards Johnny.
Verity has a life philosophy, what would Elizabeth Bennett do?, which she uses to help her out in situations or times of stress. I have to say all the references to Pride and Prejudice went over my head as I have never read it and don't think I ever will so I sped through these parts. One thing which I felt was missing in this book was the mention of books etc which was so prevalent in the first story I think that's what partly made me love Posy's story so much. But I was glad the chapters written as a romance story from the past weren't included here as they had dragged book one down.
It was enjoyable enough reading of the events and situations Verity and Johnny found themselves in but the question always remained at the back of my mind should the pair get together themselves or would it just cause too much trouble for Verity? I think she got herself into something that became increasingly hard to break away from both physically and emotionally. I enjoyed when Verity opened up to Johnny and explained the reasons for her being the way she was and not going into the detailed reasons as I found I was nodding along finding parts of myself within Verity and the way it was all explained was written very well and I could identify exactly with what she meant. OK I mightn't have agreed with it all but some parts felt very true to my own stance on certain things in life.
For me the best parts of True Love at the Lonely Hearts Bookshop were Verity's family and the scenes where she is with them were just brilliant. They had me laughing out loud at their antics surrounding the planning of Con's wedding. Verity's father Ken was a vicar. He married Dora and they had five daughters - Verity, Merry, Con, Chatty and Immy. They lived such a haphazardous life in the vicarage but it was clear to see love and friendship was there in abundance. Merry was a brilliant character who gave such support and advice to Verity when she needed it most. She really got Verity and all her little quirks. Time and time again things Merry said thanks to her straight talking had me laughing out loud and wishing she was my friend. The scenes at the vicarage when push comes to shove and Con finally has to make decisions regarding the organisation of the wedding were blunt and funny. In fact I wanted even more of Verity's family to feature and I think it would be great to have a book featuring them as a whole or even a series with each sister once Annie Darling has concluded the book shop series.
Overall True Love at the Lonely Hearts Bookshop was a good read but it didn't match the first in the series in terms of readability and I didn't fall in love with Verity as much as I had Posy. I will definitely read a third book if one is written as I like the overall concept but I am just that little bit disappointed my expectations weren’t reached with this read
alexreading's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
She writes romance so well! I love the links to classics, a fun way to do it! Quirky, sweet, well written and funny supporting characters. Lovely!
aullise's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
amlibera's review against another edition
4.0
More pandemic comfort reading- this is excellent romantic women's literature (aka chick lit, a term that I don't really like). British, bookish, characters who are a bit like something from a film (a touch of Four Weddings in this one for certain) but three dimensional for all of that. An overall good sense of humor and fairly realistic conflict (for the genre. Lots of parentheses in this review. On to the next in this series. It hits the spot like a cup of tea on a gray windy Sunday, which I also had while reading this.
luciearan's review
5.0
Po přečtení prvního dílu jsem byla lehce zklamaná a tak mi dlouho trvalo, než jsem s patřičnou opatrností vzala do ruky díl druhý. A musím říct, že ten mě nakonec moc mile překvapil.
Příběh, psaný lehce ve stylu Píchy a předsudku, byl poutavý, plný emocí a s nádechem pocitu, že láska je tu pro každého z nás. Normálně bych asi váhala, zda hodnotit 4 nebo 5, ale s knihou jsem se trefila do takového období, kdy pro mě byla přesně tím, co jsem potřebovala. Verity je postavu, kterou si čtenář dokáže snadno oblíbit i se všemi jejími zvláštnostmi.
Takže pokud se vám líbí kniha Pícha a předsudek, věřím, že Láska v knihkupectví je pro vás přesně to pravé jen v modernějším podání.
Příběh, psaný lehce ve stylu Píchy a předsudku, byl poutavý, plný emocí a s nádechem pocitu, že láska je tu pro každého z nás. Normálně bych asi váhala, zda hodnotit 4 nebo 5, ale s knihou jsem se trefila do takového období, kdy pro mě byla přesně tím, co jsem potřebovala. Verity je postavu, kterou si čtenář dokáže snadno oblíbit i se všemi jejími zvláštnostmi.
Takže pokud se vám líbí kniha Pícha a předsudek, věřím, že Láska v knihkupectví je pro vás přesně to pravé jen v modernějším podání.
kitkat9698's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
bloominglybooks's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
booksonmars's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
a simple reprieve from the literary books i’m currently in the middle of. i liked the slow burn, and surprisingly enjoyed the fake dating aspect, even though it’s my least favourite trope. johnny and verity’s vulnerable moments were sweet to read. however, i do think the view that a woman can’t be alone and unmarried in her thirties without feeling lonely is now a little outdated.
zanha's review against another edition
funny
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5